Sunday Afternoon at the Bujinkan Takamatsu Memorial

Michael Glenn at the Bujinkan Takamatsu Memorial

The fall weather has been beautiful and the training very rich. More about that soon, but this afternoon Hatsumi Sensei invited as many as we could caravan over to his country house.

driving to Hatsumi Sensei's country house

After an pleasant drive, we arrived to be greeted by Soke.

Hatsumi Sensei opens the gate

It says Hatsumi

Hatsumi Sensei is very welcoming

We also were welcomed by his horses.

Hatsumi Sensei's horse

Hatsumi Sensei's horses were always searching for food

Soke really enjoys describing all the statues and monuments to us.

Hatsumi Sensei tells us about the monuments

a gorinoto

Hatsumi Sensei examines the Takamatsu memorial

Then Hatsumi Sensei made sure that everyone found a place for their stones.

Hatsumi Sensei looks for a stone

I brought a stone from Santa Monica during my trip in September and Soke had placed it just to the left of Takamatsu's bust.

A rock from Santa Monica Mountains now in Japan at the Bujinkan Takamatsu Memorial

The horses meanwhile found where I left my backpack and were about to tear it open... Hatsumi Sensei thought this was very funny.

My backpack (in the back) is discovered by Hatsumi Sensei's horses

Hatsumi Sensei couldn't get his horses to stay still. It was funny watching him chase them.

Hatsumi Sensei tries to hold his fleeing horse

Hanging out with Sensei is always relaxed and full of humor.

Hatsumi Soke sharing the Takamatsu memorial

Hatsumi Sensei and Marilyn Monroe welcome us

I feel very lucky to be part of the Bujinkan with such a generous Soke.

Guarding the gate at Hatsumi Sensei's house

Hatsumi Sensei's giving nature informs our Bujinkan training like a connecting thread through the generations. I will write more about my training here in Japan soon.

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Japan Report Seven 令和5年

I began the morning in a hurry because I had to get to the dojo early. My days in Japan are very busy. I run and gun to fit in all of the classes, recording my video reports in between. And I still have to find time for food, laundry, sleep, as well as tourism and shopping. Today I planned three classes, Furuta Sensei, Nagase Sensei, and Noguchi Sensei. But I didn’t have time to review my notes until the next morning in a cafe. The coffee sure helped. The FULL video review can be found here: https://www.rojodojo.com/japan-report-seven-reiwa-five/ The first class was at the Bujinkan Honbu dojo with Furuta Sensei. We began class wearing a lot of knives. He said you should wear at least 9 knives. He didn’t mean that literally but the number 9 implies an infinite amount. So you have the ability to respond or attack infinitely. He kept hiding behind the attack of his opponents. I learned this approach from him a few years ago during our study of 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū in ...

Japan Report Six 令和5年

I was invited to Furuta Sensei’s home dojo out in the countryside. He is very generous and picked us up from the train station. The only problem is that he plays a Lady Gaga CD on repeat during the drive. Furuta’s home dojo is very rustic with traditional tatami mats. He started training with ukemi and my cotton tabi really slid across the straw! His exploration of 基本八法 Kihon Happō is influenced by his study of 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū. As the next Soke of Kumogakure Ryū, he is hard at work learning and studying this school. And I feel lucky to be part of this journey every time I study with him. At one point he showed a detail of how to attack the 急所 kyūsho 血止 chidome and 血ダメ chidame. The name of this kyūsho means to stop the blood. Obviously this would incapacitate an opponent if you pull it off. But Furuta Sensei used a hooking strike into chidome to unbalance with one finger. The kyūsho becomes a 支点 shiten. The pressure creates a pivot or a fulcrum to affect the oppon...

Japan Report Four 令和5年

I start off my Japan Report Four video going to Hatsumi Sensei’s house and the Bujinkan Honbu office. I do this on every trip because this is how I submit my rank paperwork for my students. In the video I talk about my “secret” route to his house. I also recall past times when I could just visit and have tea with Soke. During my walk to his house, I review some of my notes from old classes with Soke. During one class he said 自分の第六感兼ねあいうち Jibun no dairokkan kane aiuchi. This is when you make your intuition match reality. Or, more directly, your intuition is combined with something concrete such as a strike. Later in that same class, Hatsumi Sensei said 意識をさせない Ishiki o Sasenai. He was telling us not to allow our opponents to sense our intentions. Don’t put out any intention for your opponent to read. I thought it was fascinating to think about dairokkan and the use of intuition while also hiding your intentions. Hatsumi Sensei’s classes were full of subtle lessons lik...

Bujinkan Santa Monica

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